The Ending We Never Got
by livestockjudge
Summary: What if Peeta was never hijacked? What if he was just plain and simply tortured by President Snow. We all know the happy reunion we were expecting, but never got. Here is my version of the ending to Suzanne Collins' "Mockingjay". Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everybody! This is my first ever fan fiction, so if you see any mistakes that you think need corrected, or changes that you think need to be made to it, **_**please**_** feel free to let me know in a review! Also, three friends helped me to write some of the parts in this, but they do not have accounts on FanFiction, so they get some credit, too. Thanks guys! Other than that, I really hope you like this, and enjoy! =)**

_**What if Peeta was never hijacked? What if he was just plain and simply tortured by President Snow? We all know the happy reunion that we were expecting, but never got. Here is my revised reunion scene/ending to Suzanne Collin's "Mockingjay".**_

**Disclaimer: All of the characters, settings, situations, etc… belong to Suzanne Collins. **

As I wander the seemingly endless halls of District 13's hospital wing, I can't help but wonder "Why is it taking so long? Why aren't they back yet? IS PEETA OK?" Darn that Haymitch! He should have let me join the mission. I should have made them let me go. I should have…

Just then, my thoughts were interrupted by a loud clamoring coming from the end of the hall and an unnaturally sober Haymitch bombarding towards me. "Sweetheart", he began.

"Haymitch!", I interrupted, "Where. Is. Peeta." I tried to keep my voice as steady and slow as I could, but inside anxiety was clawing away at me, and I just couldn't wait a single second longer.

He gave me a knowing look and began to explain "He's in bad shape. The mission was a success, but on the way back, he just plum passed out! He's still unconscious, but under closer examination, the doctor's figured out that the Capitol tortured him by…"

I rubbed the smooth, iridescent, cool surface of the pearl in my pocket, thinking about just how thankful I was he was still at least alive. Sure, he did just arrive back from the Capitol unconscious, but at least he was still alive! It had taken me this long to realize how much I really cared for my "Boy with the Bread", and now he had been so close to being taken away from me yet again. I _swear_, he **will never**__be taken away from me again.

My ears perk up as I hear Haymitch say "And they think you should be there. You know, so he can see you as soon as he wakes up. He wouldn't stop asking about you on the way back. Right up until he passed out."

I didn't wait to hear more. Before I even knew what I was doing, my feet had carried me out the door and I was racing down the hall towards the "Critical Care Unit". I busted through the doors to Peeta's room so fast that the doctors didn't even have a chance to stop me.

"Peeta!" I shrieked as I saw how broken he looked lying in that hospital bed unconscious. At my voice, Peeta's eyelids began to flutter, and a beeping noise came from his heart monitor, indicating that he was beginning to wake up.

"Katniss," he mumbled. I rushed to his side as fast as my feet would carry me.

"Peeta," I cooed softly as I gently brushed the blonde, translucent waves of hair from his face. I watched as he slowly struggled to lift his arms to encase me against his chest. It was at that moment that I truly realized how much I had missed this, how much I needed it, and how much I really could not live without it. Without Peeta's love, I would be unable to survive. He was my sun, my air, my _dandelion._

As I let my emotions take over, I slowly reached up and gave Peeta a soft, sweet kiss on the lips, and as I did, I felt his embrace around me tighten. This kiss left me with a hunger for more. One that I had only felt twice before: once in the cave in my first arena, and then again on the beach during the Quarter Quell. So I gave in, knowing that it was the only way to get any relief from this knowing hunger that was eating away at me.

"Peeta," I whispered, "I love you." I felt him smile against me, and I knew, that for once, the odds were finally in my favor.

**A/N: So, what did you think? Please let me know in a review. Constructive Criticism? Always welcome. I really do apologize if Katniss was sort of OOC, but this was just how I imagined it, and I just wanted it to be romantic. Also, do you guys think that I should just leave this as a one-shot, or does anyone out there want me to continue? If so, let me know! So please, review! **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hi everyone! Thank you **_**soooo**_** much for all of the awesome reviews! You guys have no clue how much I really appreciate it! **

**-Alright, so here is the second chapter to **_**The Ending We Never Got**_**. I honestly thought that I would end up leaving this as a one-shot, but due to the (awesome) fact that several people reviewed and thought that I should continue, I did!:-D However, I believe that this would probably be alright left as a "two-shot". **

**-Please read & review, I enjoy reading them so much! Constructive Criticism is always welcome!**

**-Other than that, please enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the **_**Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay, **_**or any related characters, settings, scenarios, etc. . . **

Chapter 2

I spent that night lying awake in the bed I shared with Prim, constantly worrying about Peeta. Heck, several times I even ran down to the Hospital Ward to check that he was still there and okay. Luckily for me, our compartment was located close to that wing of District 13. Each time, I had to convince myself that this was real, and that I had not dreamt that the mission was a success, or that I finally had Peeta back with me.

When I finally got to sleep around 3 or 4 a.m. that morning, it seemed like only minutes later that I was awakened by a loud, obnoxious banging on my door. I groaned inwardly, wondering who would come to wake me at this hour. As I rolled over, I noticed that Prim had already left for school, and my mother was most likely at the hospital by now. I was yanked out of my thoughts as I heard whoever was banging on my door yell "Sweetheart! If you don't get your butt out of bed this instant, I am going to bust down this door and drag you out, and, and . . .!" Haymitch. Yup, definitely Haymitch.

I guess I couldn't have expected him to stay sober for too long. As I listened to his words slur together, I understood that he had just stayed sober long enough to see the mission through to completion. It was kind of neat to see that he cared enough to make sure that Peeta got out safely, but he was obviously still my same old , drunken mentor.

Once I realized what was going on, I threw on a random outfit, and shot out the door as fast as I possibly could. I was about to sprint to the Hospital Ward when I felt my arm being grabbed by Haymitch's rough, calloused hand.

I shot him my best "death-glare" and tried to yank away, but his grip was already surprisingly strong, and only tightened. I decided to just get it over with. "What?" I spat, trying to make my voice sound as mean and menacing as possible, but really, even I knew that the anxious tone in my voice was quite obvious.

"I was just gonna say," huffed Haymitch, "that Peeta woke up and was asking for you." I just nodded my head and turned to go, not quite sure of what to expect.

I picked up speed on my way to his room, and burst in to find Peeta already sitting up in bed. I could feel a smile splitting my face as I listened to him speak. I am sure that he had no clue how _thrilled _I was to see that he was okay, or at least much better.

"Katniss," Peeta beamed at me. "I am so happy to see you, I missed you so much!" That was Peeta, always thinking of me first, even if he was the one on the hospital bed. "The doctors fixed me right up," he continued, "and they are moving me out of the Critical Care Unit. They want to keep me in the Hospital a few more days, though, but only to make sure that I recover well. . . . and Katniss?"

"Yeah?"

"When I passed out, I had the most wonderful dream."

"Oh yeah?" I prodded him, wondering exactly what he was talking about, and why he suddenly sounded so shy.

"Yes," he says, beginning to explain. "I dreamt, I dreamt that when I got back, you came to see me, and, well, you kissed me." Peeta looks downward almost sheepishly, but continues talking. "Then, just as I was thinking that that moment couldn't have possibly gotten any better, I heard you say that, well, that you loved me." There was a long pause broken by Peeta as I heard him murmur, "It was all just a dream though, wasn't it?" His eyes met mine, and in them I saw all of his love for me, his longing, maybe the slightest sliver of hope, but along with that, his sorrow, as if he truly believed that it had been nothing more than a dream. A dream that he wished was real. A dream that was real, but he just simply did not know that.

This was my one chance to deny it, to let him believe that it was nothing but a dream. I could go back to caring only for Prim and myself, my sole purpose; survival. But that was something that I knew I could not do. Whether I wanted to acknowledge it or not, I had grown to love this boy sitting in front of me, and now that love had grown into something so strong, that it was no longer even possible for me to deny it. So I gave an almost imperceptible shake of my head and whispered, barely audible, "No. No Peeta, it was not a dream. . . I, I _do_ love you. . ."

This time it was I who looked away, and as I did, I could feel the blood rise to my cheeks and heat my face, and knew that I was blushing . . . Something very rare for me. When I finally looked Peeta in the eye, I could see all of his feelings played out on his face. Peeta looked at me in disbelief, excitement, and above all else, love.

"Katniss," he starts, beaming at me, "You have _no clue_ how long I have been waiting to hear you say that to me." I hear him chuckle and start to glare at him, but end up just joining in. Only he can do that to me. "Oh, and by the way, I'm crazy about you, too," he states while wrapping his arms around me. However, I surprise Peeta by kissing him full on the lips, and this time, we are both completely awake to enjoy it.

**A/N: Thank you guys so much for reading! I really hope that you enjoyed it! I tried to make Katniss act a little bit more like herself in this one, but I don't know, she still seemed a slightly OOC. Please leave a review and let me know what you think! I absolutely love hearing from you guys. Thanks a bunch!**


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